Another Christmas season over, and a new year begins. I read with great interest the letters to the Telegraph regarding the nativity scene on the courthouse lawn. This is the first year I’ve ever known of it to be an issue. Unfortunately, many have forgotten the true meaning of Christmas.

Many have lost their way. The tragedy in Newtown, Conn., a public display of anger concerning Christmas gifts received by a social agency, and greedy people who steal from elderly people are just several examples of those who walk a dark path.

Much of this “darkness” can be attributed to attitudes of “entitlement” that persist today. The Great Society envisioned by President Lyndon B. Johnson did not eliminate poverty, but exacerbated it. When more than 50 percent of Americans receive some form of government assistance, the incentive to work is non-existent, as evidenced by the outcome of the 2012 presidential election.